Paddle-wheel.



.1. S.-ALL|SON. PADDLE WHEEL.

(Application filecl- Aug. 22, 1899.)

Patented Feb. l3, I900.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. ALLISON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

PADDLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,444, dated February 13, 1900.

Application filed August 22, 1899. Serial No. 728,087. N0 model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. ALLISON, a citizen of the United States,.residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have inventednew and usefulImprovements in Paddle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to paddle-wheels, and more particularly to that class of wheels which embrace paddles having trunnions journaled in suitable bearings, cranks on the trunnions at one end of the paddles, and a gravitating ring connected to the cranks, said ring having for its purpose to cause the paddles to enter and leave the water in a feathering manner, so that but a minimum amount of power is required to turn the wheel.

The invention consists in the strong and rigid and otherwise advantageous construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved paddle-Wheel. Fig. 2 is a section taken in the plane indicated by the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged section illustrating one of the transverse rock-shafts of the wheel and the paddle thereon. Fig. 4 is. a detail section taken in the plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section illustrating the connection of the truss-rods to the end hubs of the wheel. Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken perspective view of one of the paddles.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A is a wheel-shaft, and B is my improved paddle-wheel, which is fixed on the shaft and embraces end hubs a, two (more or less) intermediate hubs 19, four (more or less) rims c, and spokes d, interposed between andfixedly connected to the hubs and rims.

For the purpose of effectually preventing springing of the shaftA,and thereby insuring free movement of the paddle-bearing rockshafts, presently described, I provide eight (more or less) transverse truss-rods C. These rods 0 bear against the peripheries of the intermediate hubs b, as best shown in Fig. 2, and their outer portions are inclined inwardly and loosely passed through apertures e in the end hubs a. The ends of the said rods 0 are threaded, as shown, to receive nuts f, which jacent to the outer ends thereof.

bear against the outer inclined faces 9 of the end hubs a and are provided in order that the rods may be readily tightened whenever necessary.

Arranged on each of the spokes d at points adjacent to the rims and connected to said spokes by bolts h and nuts 1' are bearingblocks j. These bearing-blocks'receive transverse rock-shafts D, which have their portions in between the bearing-blocks of the angular shape in cross-section best shown in Fig. 6.

Bare paddles which are mounted on the shafts D between the bearing-blocks thereof. These paddles are of the special construction best shown in Fig. 6that is to say, they respectively comprise plates Z of sheet metal, disposed at opposite sides of and riveted to an angular portion 7a of one of the rock-shafts, and strips m of iron or other suitable material, interposed between the plates Z, at the longitudinal edges thereof, and connected to said plates by rivets or other suitable means. Such construction of paddle is light and at the same time stiff and strong and is well adapted to withstand the usage to which paddles are ordinarily subjected. It is also advantageous because the disposition of the plates 1 at opposite sides of the angular shaft portion removes all strain from the connecting-rivets and at the same time precludes turning of the paddle with respect to the shaft.

The ends of the rock-shafts D are extended outwardly beyond the bearing-blocks j and are equipped with cranks F, which are keyed thereon, this mode of connecting being desirable because, while the shafts are caused to turn with the cranks, the cranks may be conveniently removed from the shafts for purposes presently described.

G are gravitating rings which are disposed at opposite sides of the wheel and are loosely connected by wrist-pins p to the cranks F, ad-

The rings G have for their purpose to hold the paddles E in such positions as to cause said paddles to enter and leave the Water in afeathering manner and yet present a flat face to the water incident to their rearward passage through the same, this being desirable because the paddles meet with little or no resistance in entering and leaving the water, and hence no Ice power is wasted, and but a minimum amount of power is required to drive the wheel. By virtue of the rings G being disposed at opposite sides of the wheel and connected to cranks at opposite ends of the paddle-shafts they are enabled to properly balance the paddles and insure said paddles entering and leaving the water in a feathering manner and remaining in an upright position during their rearward passage through the water, notwithstanding the pressure or strain to which they are subjected throughout their length.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing, the construction described is simple, strong, and highly efficient in operation and is therefore adapted to be used to advantage in new wheels. The construction of the paddles and their appurtenances is particularly advantageous, however, because of the facility with which they may be placed on old wheels or wheels at present in use in lieu of the ordinary fixed paddles thereof. Such substitution may be readily effected without dismantling the old wheel or removing it from its shaft or the wheelhouse in which it is placed, it being simply necessary to disconnect the fixed paddles from the spokes of the old wheel and connect the bearing-blocks, with the paddle-shafts therein, to said spokes by the bolts h and nuts 1'. \Vith this done the cranks F, to which the rings G are permanently connected, are driven on the ends of the paddleshafts, when the conversion of the old fixedpaddle wheel into a feathering-paddle wheel is complete.

The cranks F are fixed on the ends of the shafts D, so as to turn therewith, by keys or feathers, as before described, this mode of connection being desirable because it permits of conveniently assembling the parts in a wheel and also because it permits of anyparticular shaft D being readily disconnected from its cranks and removed from the wheel for repairs orother purposes without disturbing the connection of the other shafts and cranks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A paddle-wheel comprising end and intermediate hubs, parallel rims, spokes interposed between and connected to the hubs and rims,paddles fixed on shafts mounted in bearings on the spokes, transverse truss-rods bearing on the periphery of the intermediate hub and having inwardly-inclined end portions extending through apertures in the-end hubs and provided with threads, and nuts mounted on the threaded ends of the truss-rods and bearing against the outer faces of the end hubs, substantially as specified.

2. In a paddle-wheel, the combination of a rock-shaft journaled in suitable bearings and provided with a portion of angular form in cross-section, and a paddle comprising sheetmetal plates disposed at opposite sides of and fixedly connected to the angular portion of the rock-shaft, and metallic strips interposed between and connected to said plates at the longitudinal edges thereof, substantially as specified.

3. The herein-described paddle-wheel consisting of the hubs, the parallel rims, spokes interposed between and connected to the hubs and rims, the bearing-blocks arranged on the spokes at points adjacent to the rims, bolts and nuts detachably connecting the said blocks to the spokes, the transverse rockshafts journaled in the bearing-blocks and having their ends extended beyond the same, paddles interposed between the rims and fixed on the shafts, cranks keyed on the extended ends of the shafts so as to turn therewith and yet be removable therefrom, and gravitating rings disposed at opposite sides of the wheel and loosely connected to the cranks, substantially as specified.

4. The herein-described paddle-wheel consisting of the end and intermediate hubs, parallel rims corresponding in number to the hubs, spokes interposed between and connected to the hubs and rims, transverse, threaded truss-rods bearing'on the periphery of the intermediate hub and extending through apertures in the end hubs and equipped with nuts, bearing-blocks detachably connected to the spokes,rock-shafts journaled'in said blocks and having cranks at their ends and also having intermediate portions of angular form in cross-section,paddles comprising sheet-metal plates disposed at opposite sides of and connected to the angular portions of the shafts, and gravitating rings arranged at opposite sides of the wheel and connected to the cranks of the rock-shafts, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH S. ALLISON.

Witnesses:

D. M. LA MoREE, L. R. WATTS. 

